This is not exactly my recipe but made by me without having any recipe. I had seen it prepared at The Seafood Restaurant in Padstow whilst working in the kitchens there but never had the chance to cook it ! When I returned home I tried preparing it for myself, and so now will claim it – but with a polite nod to Padstow!
Portions – 2
Time – 20-25 Minutes in all, Cook is only 10 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 John Dory Fillets (Unless you fancy filleting them yourself!)
- 100g Fresh White Crab meat
- 6 Asparagus Spears
- Bunch of Spinach
- Bunch of Wild Garlic Leaves
- 6-8 Shavings of Fresh Parmesan
- Clarified Butter/Ghee or if unavailable just use Olive or Vegetable Oil (or the 2 combined)
- Salt and ground Black Pepper
Beautiful Spinach and Wild Garlic
- Set the oven at 120C/100 Fan/Gas mark 1/2
- Trim the Asparagus by cutting off the root end and then cut off the heads, and if thick, slice the remainder of the body in two lengthways.
- Put on a pan of salted water, bring to the boil and have some iced water ready in a bowl to blanch and refresh. When the water is boiling put in the asparagus for around 2 minutes(depending on thickness) and then immediately plunge into the ice water. This will stop the cooking process and also retain the vibrant green colour.
- Now trim the Spinach leaves by breaking off the stalks and cut off the stems of the wild garlic. Wash them in a bowl of water, agitate gently to wash off the dirt, and get them as dry as possible by using a salad spinner if you have one. Set aside.
- Lay the crab meat on a baking tray. Take the asparagus out of the ice water and lay this on the same tray.
- Peel a few ribbons of Parmesan and set aside.
- Put a frying pan (large enough to take both Dory Fillets) on Medium/High heat and add the clarified butter or Ghee (or Veg/ Olive Oil if using). Once the pan is hot, salt the Dory Fillets on the Skin side and lay them in the pan gently pushing them down with your fingers to give a good contact between skin/ pan and to stop them curling or rising up. Ensure the pan is not so hot so that the skin starts to scorch/burn, but you want to achieve a golden crisp skin. Leave the Fillets frying in the pan for approx 3/5 minutes (depending on size/thickness) regulating the heat if too hot or if the skin starts to burn. By checking the underside using a palette knife you should be able to determine if the skin is crisp and golden. Place a job of butter into the pan and flip the fish over, salt/pepper on the skin side and turn the heat down a little. Fry the fish for a minute or two more (depending on thickness) whilst at the same time basting it with the butter regularly. When the fish is done (Should be starting to flake and be opaque – not translucent), set aside on a warmed plate.
- Whilst the fish is frying place a wok/ large High sided Frying Pan on a high heat with a nob of clarified butter/ ghee, once steaming hot place the Spinach/Garlic leaves into the pan, give a quick twist of Salt and Black Pepper and gently stir around from time ( I prefer to use tongs to do this).
- Whilst both of these pans are on, place the tray with Crab and Asparagus into the oven for a couple of minutes to warm through the crab and bring the asparagus back up to temperature.
- The Spinach/garlic should only need 2/3 minutes to wilt down and soon as it does take out of the pan with tongs and place inside a folded j cloth, or between a couple of sheets of kitchen paper, and gently press down to compact a little and squeeze out any liquid.
- By now your fish and crab and asparagus should all be ready.
- Assembly – use the j cloth or kitchen paper to roll the spinach a little so that it is shaped evenly about 3-4 cm across and the length of the circumference of your plate, place into the centre of the plate. Scatter the crab along the length of the spinach. Lay the asparagus tips in criss cross fashion over the crab along the length of the spinach. Scatter the shaved Parmesan on top and finally lay the Dory on top of this. Drizzle a little olive oil on top if so desired.
There you have it – a Rick Stein inspired dish with a recipe not be found elsewhere on the internet !